1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to electrical controls for air conditioners and in particular to an electrical circuit that allows an air conditioner to be installed in a motor vehicle using the vehicle's existing heater and vent controls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While many vehicles are sold with the air conditioners installed at the factory, there are also many vehicles in which the air conditioner is installed after the original purchase from the manufacturer. In installing these units, it is desired to make their installation look very similar to vehicles in which the air conditioner was installed at the factory. One problem is that the so called "after market" air conditioners have their own blowers. In the "factory" installations, the heater and the air conditioner usually use the same blower. Also, the temperature control lever in a non-factory air vehicle controls only the heater and vent air, and would have no effect on the air conditioner temperature regulating circuit. Consequently a control member for this function is needed, as well as an on/off switch for the air conditioner. These additional controls for the air conditioner detract from the overall appearance of the installation, making it readily apparent that the air conditioner is not a factory installation.
Proposals have been made to couple additional circuitry to the heater blower switch and to the existing mode switch (i.e., heat, vent, defrost), to control the air conditioner, however, improvements are desired.